Wed Nov 27 21:10:00 UTC 2024: ## Russia Expels German Journalists in Retaliation for Residency Denials
**Moscow, November 28, 2024** – Russia has expelled two German journalists from ARD, the German public broadcaster, in what it calls retaliation for Germany’s refusal of residency permits to journalists from Russia’s Channel One. The Russian Foreign Ministry, citing spokesperson Maria Zakharova, stated the expulsions are conditional, with the possibility of reinstating ARD’s accreditation if Germany allows Channel One journalists to work freely in Berlin.
Germany denies claims that it closed Channel One’s Berlin office, stating that Russian journalists can operate freely within the country. A spokesperson for the German foreign ministry attributed the residency denials to issues handled at the state level, not the federal government. Berlin’s state immigration office confirmed the rejection of residency permits for Channel One’s bureau chief and a cameraman on November 22nd, adding that the decision is appealable.
This action follows similar denials of residency for journalists from Ruptly and Rossiya Segodnya, both Russian state-owned media outlets. The German Foreign Ministry condemned Russia’s expulsion of the ARD journalists as “unacceptable” and “arbitrary,” emphasizing the legal process available through appeals in Germany.
ARD confirmed that correspondent Frank Aischmann and a technical employee were affected, highlighting ongoing challenges in reporting from Moscow due to intimidation and restrictions. Channel One, sanctioned by the European Union since December 2022, is barred from broadcasting in Europe, but this does not affect its staff presence in Germany under the current sanctions. The escalating tit-for-tat expulsion of journalists underscores the ongoing tensions between Russia and the West amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
First Piper 